Draft-rigging construction.



G. H. FORSYTH- DRAFT RIGGING CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18, 1905.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c WIHMPE@ @FFIME.

GEORGE H. FOBSYTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WAUGII DRAFT GEAR COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-RIGGING CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1915.

Application filed October 18, 1905. Serial No. 283,274.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. FonsY'rH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Rigging Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has to do with the construction of special parts to be employed in conjunction with members ofdraft-rigging mechanism.

It is a well known fact that the constructions of cars, especially in freight equipment, varies widely; and among other particulars in the draft-rigging mechanism and spacing of the draft-sills. Owing to this fact and because the cars have to be frequently repaired at widely scattered points and by other companies than those owning them, it must follow that a device to be practical for general service shall be capable of being readily applied to very wide variety of constructions, both as regards design and dimensions.

Furthermore, it must be evident that it is of particular advantage that a railway device, especially one subject to the hard usage of freight service, be constructed out of such a number of parts that the one receiving the most wear shall be separable from its companion member or members, instead of being integral therewith, and may therefore be replaced without disturbing or renewing the members as a whole. I have, therefore, in the present inventiondesigned special formations of wear elements as separable from their companion members whereby to permit the ready replacing of such wear elements of the draft-rigging.

Furthermore, by constructing certain members of the draft-rigging out of a plurality of parts, I have also succeeded in reducing the weight of such individual elements of such members and those subject to the most wear.

Lastly, by making the special formationsof wear elements separable from the com-' panion follower members instead of'integral therewith, I am enabled to apply the former to the draft-rigging of cars already in service without necessitating the discarding of the follower members already present in the draft-rigging.

My invention will be readily understood when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating practical forms thereof, in which H Figure 1 is a plan view of a construction of draft-rigging embodying my present improvements; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a slightly modified form of front follower; Fig. 3 is a similar view of a slightly modified form of intermediate follower; Fig. 4: is a front elevation of the front follower shown in Fig. 1, with the yoke strap shown in section; Fig. 5 is a similar view of the rear follower; Fig. 6 is a rear view of the rear follower shown in Figs. 1 and 5 Fig. 7 is a detail in top plan view of a further modification of the front follower and a separate wear strip or piece attached to a filler block at the end of the coupler shank; Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 7; and Figs. 9 and 10 are modified forms of the constructions shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the draft-sills, 11 the usual follower stops secured to the inner faces thereof, 12 the usual followers engaging said stops, 13 the draw'bar extension or yoke, and 14: the drawbar or coupler'shank, which parts may all be of a usual and well known construction in draft-rigging appliances.

For the general purpose of my present invention any suitable form of spring or friction, or combined spring and friction re sistance medium may be employed, but I have chosen to illustrate my present improvements in connection with a novel type of resistance medium that forms in part the subject-matter of an application heretofore filed by me on the 28th day of January, 1905, Serial No. 243,143. 1

Referring now more particularly to those features of novelty and improvement with which my present invention is especially concerned, 15 designates an intermediate follower, 16 a coiled spring between the front and intermediate follower, and 17 a series of flat plate-springs operating between concave and convex surfaces on the intermediate and rear followers, respectively.

18 designates a wear-block secured to the vexed wear-block 26 suitably front face of the front follower 12, said wear-block having a rounded or convexed outer face cooperating with a corresponding concaved face on a wear-block 19 secured to the inner end of the draw-bar. The wear-block 18, as shown in Fig. 1, is of less width than the follower to which it is attached, and is secured to said follower by means of a bolt 20 engaging a countersunk hole in the center of the wear-block and passing through the follower; said bolt being preferably extended inwardly some distance through a spacing sleeve 21, thereby forming a boss on which the outer end of the spring 16 is positioned. The block 18 may be either a solid block or, for the sake of lightness, it may be hollow, as indicated by the dotted lines; and it may be provided with a boss 18 entering within a countersink in the follower 12.

Fig. 2 illustrates a slight modification wherein the wear-block 17 extends the full width of the follower, and, instead of being secured to the latter by a central bolt, is secured at its ends by means of rivets 22 passed through and headed into the opposite end-portions of the follower. This construction has two advantages, as compared with the construction of Fig. 1, although requiring slightly more metal; these advantages being, first, that the rubbing strains are transmitted directly through the wearblock to the draft-sills without bringing any strain to speak of upon the fastening means securing it to the follower; and, second, that the draw-bar engaging surface is left intact and unbroken throughout its entire extent, the bolt 20 and spacing sleeve 21 forming the bearing boss for the spring 16 being securedto the follower only.

The rear follower 12,'as shown in Fig. 1, is equipped with a wear-block 23 and a flexing block 24 on its rear and front faces, respectively. The block 23 is, as shown, of lesswidth than the follower, being secured thereto by belts or rivets 25 passed through countersunk holes in its end-portions and through registering holes in the follower, and being provided with a concave wearing surface engaging a correspondingly consecured to the end of the yoke strap between the upper and lower sections thereof; it being evident that said wear-block might be made of the full width of the follower with the advantage in respect to transmission of rubbin strains already mentioned in connection with Fig. 2. The wear-block 23 may be provided with bosses 23 entering with countersinks in the follower 12. The flexing-block 24 is of the full width of the follower, comprising a convex surface engaging the springplates 17, conveniently secured in place by the bolts 25 that secure the block 23 to the follower, the heads-of said bolts lying in countersinks in the convex face of the block, as shown. This member 24 may also, as indicated by the dotted lines, he hollowed out in its central part for the sake of lightness. The forms of the blocks 23 and 24 and their fastening means are additionally illustrated in the detail views, Figs. 5 and G.

Cooperating with the convex flexing block 24 in bringing into action the resiliency of the plate-springs 17 is a flexing block 27 secured to the intermediate follower 15 as by means of a central bolt 28, said flexing block extending the full width of the follower and being formed with a concave spring-engag ing surface preferably having the same degree of curvature as the convex face of the flexing block 2-1. This member may also be hollowed out on its inner side, as indicated by dotted lines, for the sake of lightness; and the bolt 28 is also extended inwardly and engaged with a spacing sleeve 29 to provide a bearing boss for the inner end of the coil spring 16.

Fig. 3 shows a modification of this structure, wherein the flexing block 27 is secured to the follower at its ends by rivets 30, while the stud 28 supporting the spacing sleeve 29 is mounted in the follower only, leaving the wearing surface of the flexing block intact and unbroken at its central portion, this construction affording the advantages already pointed out in connection with Fig. 2.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate a modification of the cooperating devices between the drawbar and the front follower. In these views the engaging face of the wear block 18 is formed with a concave, instead of a convex, surface. Between the upper and lower sections of the yoke and opposite the inner end of the draw-bar is interposed a casting 31 in the nature of a filler block, said casting being secured in place by bolts or rivets 82 passed therethrough and through the upper and lower sections of the yoke, and said casting also having laterally projecting marginal ribs or flanges 31 to increase the area of engagement with the yoke. To the inner end of the filler block 31 is secured, as by rivets 33, engaging countersunk holes in its operating face, the wear block 34 having a rounded or convexed surface engaging and cooperating with. the concave wear surface of the wear block 18*.

Figs. 9 and 10 show slight modifications of the structures of Figs. 7 and 8, these modifications consisting in forming the rounded end or wear-block 34 integral with the filler block 31 and in extending the marginal ribs or flanges 31 the full width of the yoke.

The described concave and convex engaging surfaces of the cooperating wear-blocks at the opposite ends of the rigging are for the purpose of facilitating side play of the draw-bar without cramping the interposed resistance medium, as also for the further purpose of facilitating the automatic returning of the draw-bar, when released, under the action of the resistance medium, to a coupling position.

While I have shown in Fig. l the front follower having a convex wear-block and the rear follower a concave one, it must be evident that either convex or concave portions could be used with either or both of the followers. It is also true that the con vex and concave formations shown might be reversed if desired to flex the spring plates 17 and that more than one series of spring-plates with an additional follower or followers might be employed.

While I have shown the flattened end portions of the wear member 18 as extending to and flush with the ends of the follower, it will be understood that these flattened portions need not extend thus far, but might stop short of the ends of the followers, ex tending only far enough to accommodate the fastening rivets. All the separable follower accessories described may, if desired,

be made the full width of the followers, and

when so made need not be attached to the followers.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the parts most subjected to wear and injury are readily removable and renewable, when worn out or broken, without necessitating the renewal of the followers proper. It will also be seen that the said wear-blocks are capable of application to the standard forms of followers now in use, without involving the necessity and consequent expense of special constructions of followers as a whole. The removable wear and flexing members may preferably be made of castings or forgings, and obviously are applicable to constructions of draft-sills and draft-rigging of varying dimensions.

I claim:

In a draft-rigging mechanism, the com bination, with a draw bar and draw bar extension, and a resistance medium, of follower plates, one having a concave bearing surface on its outer face and the other having a convex bearing surface on its outer face, and complementary cooperating surfaces on the ends of wear blocks associated with the draw bar and draw bar extension, substantially as described.

GEORGE H. FORSYTH.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND, FREDERICK C. GooDwIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

